Temperature-regulating apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

, D. W. THOMPSON.

TEMPERATURE REGULATING APPARATUS.

No. 415,007. Patented Nov. 12, 1889.

N. PETERS, Fhnlwllihcgnpiwr. wnhinmn. DIG.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- n. W. THOMPSQN. TEMPERATURE REGULATING APPARATUS.

No. 415,007. Patented Nov. 12,1889."

I'E H I i I.

| 'l I I I -5|| A l i. E I l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID \V. THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TEMPERATU RE-REGULATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,007, dated November 12, 1889. Application filed. October 4, 1887. Serial No. 251,386. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID W. THOMPSON, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Temperature-Regulating Apparatus; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention-relates to improved temperature-regulating apparatus of that class embracing a valve or damper the opening or closing of which affects the temperature of a room or apartment, .a motor actuating the said valve or damper, a thermostat, and electrical connections between the thermostat and the motor, whereby the latter is controlled from the former.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus embracing the several novel features comprising the invention, the valve or damper being shown as applied to an auxiliary airinlet pipe connected with the smoke-pipe of a stove or furnace. Fig.2 is a section through the said pipe and the motor-ease, illustrating features of construction in the motor and in the damper. Fig. 3 is a face view of the motor with the cover of theease removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the case containing the thermostat. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail side view of the pivoted armature and the part of the magnet adjacent thereto. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the armature detached from its supporting-pivot. Fig. 7 is an enlarged face view of the motor shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the same.

As illustrated in the said drawings, A indicates, as a whole, the thermostat and its case; B, the battery; 0, the motor; D, the valve,

which is actuated by the motor; E, the pipe.

in which the valve is placed.

In the particular construction illustrated the pipe E is connected with the smokepipe F of a stove F, the said pipe E being open at its lower end, so that when the damper D is open air from the apartment may enter the smokepipe, and thus decrease or prevent the passage of air through the draft-apertures of the stove. The motor 0 is provided with a shaft 0, which extends through the pipe E and supports the valve D, which, in this instance, is a simple disk or butterfly valve. The said motor consists of an ordinary clockwork driven by coiled actnating-springs 0 C and provided with a regulating-fan 0. Upon the shaft 0 of the motor is mounted a commutator 0 consisting of a cylindric block of metal provided with insulating blocks or sections c 0 0 0 The insulating-sections c c are arranged diametrically opposite each other, while the insulating-sections c c are arranged diametrically opposite each other at, points intermediate to the sections 0' c, the sections 0 c and c a being located at opposite sides of a central line drawn around the cylindric surface of the commutator in the manner shown.

G G are spring-arms or brushes attached to the frame of the motor and resting at their free ends upon the commutator C The brush G acts upon the insulating-sections c 0', while the brush G acts upon the insulatingsections 0 0 The brushes G G are herein shown as attached, respectively, to separate insulatingposts G2 G attached to the frame of the motor. The brushes, as herein shown, consist of strips of metal or wire provided with double bends g g, forming parts 9 which are generally at right angles to the end portions of the brushes. The presence of the said transverse parts obviously enables the brushes to be lengthened or shortened by bending said transverse parts or the curved portions of the brushes connecting them, thereby enabling the parts of the brushes in contact with the distributor to be accurately adjusted with relation to said distributer.

The said commutator O is constructed and operates generally in the same manner as do other similar commutators to complete an electric circuit-through one or the other of the brushes G G and a conductor having electrical connection with the metal body of the commutator.

II is an electro-magnet mounted upon the frame of the motor, and 11 an armature for.

said magnet. Said armature stands vertically and is pivoted at its lower end upon a pivot-rod 7b. The armature is also provided with a rigid arm 11 having at its end a detent or hook it, constructed to engage the regulating-fan c of the motor at the time the armature is free from the magnet.

H is another rigid arm attached to the armature and extending outwardly over a stationary part or rod 0 of the motor, which rod forms a stop to limit the downward movement of the said arm 11 and of the detent-arn1 H. In this construction of the parts the weight of the armature, in connection with the weight of the arms H and H is relied upon to hold the armature free from the magnet at the time the current is not passing through the same and to cause the engagement of the detent 72 with the regulating-fan. It will of course be understood, however, that a single arm may be employed in place of the two arms shown, and that a stop for limiting the backward movement of the armature and the downward movement of the detent may be otherwise located than as shown. It will also be understood that the said detent may be arranged to engage a revolving part of the clockwork other than the regulating-fan.

In motor-controlling devices of the kind above describedas heretofore made the armature is held or drawn away from the pole of the magnet by means of a spiral or other spring. An adjusting device for the spring is required in order to enable the tension of the same to be accurately adjusted, and by reason of changes in the spring itself and liability of shifting the screw with which the spring is connected and other reasons it becomes necessary to occasionally adjust the spring to produce perfect action of the device. By employing the arm H attached to the armature and extending outwardly therefrom in such manner that its weight will swing the armature away from the pole of the magnet, I am enabled to dispense with the spring, thereby obtaining a more simple and cheap construction, while at the same time obtaining a uniform action without possibility of the devices getting out of adj ustment in use.

By reason of the advantages obtained by the construction in the motor in the particular above described this novel construction of the armature is herein claimed as a part of my invention.

A conductor 2' extends from the electromagnet II to the frame of the clock-work, and has electrical connection through said frame, the shaft 0', and the metal body of the distributer C wit-l1 one or the otherof the brushes G G.

I is another conductor leading from the coil of the electro-magnet to the battery 1-3. I. is a conductor leading from said battery to the thermostat A, and I I are conductors leading from said thermostat and connected, re spectively, with the brushes G G.

The thermostat, which I have indicated as a whole by the letter A, is, as herein shown, duplex, or provided withtwo separate and independently-operating thermostats A A ,attached to or contained in a single board or case. Each one of these thermostats A A is capable of independently operating the motor by completing an electric circuit through one or the other of the conductors 1 1", and said thermostats are exactly alike, two of them being employed in connection with a switch for placing either one or theother in circuit with the battery and the electro-magnet which controls the motor, in order that one may be adjusted to move the valve or damper at one temperature and the other at another temperature, whereby the apparatus is adapted for maintaining an apartment or house at one temperature in the day-time and I at another temperature at night, without other change than the shifting of the switch.

The thermostats A A are of familiar construction and contain in themselves no features of novelty. The parts of the two thermostats are lettered alike in the drawings, and a description of one applies to the other. Each of said thermostats embraces a supporting-post J, a spirally-coiled compound strip K, attached atits center to the post and provided with a radial metallic extension or arm k at its outer end, and two contactpoints ZZ, supported by posts L L upon the case, said contact-points being arranged at opposite sides of the arm The compound spiral strips K consist of two layers 7t 7a, of materials which expand to different extent under the influence of heat, the materials used in the device shown being steel and hard rubber. Variations in temperature operate in a thermostat thus made to swing the arm k into contact with one or the other of the contaetpoints Z Z. The post J of the thermostat is eonnected with the battery-wire I by conductors Z while the posts L L, sustaining the contact-points Z Z of'both thermostats, are connected,respectively, with the conductors I I M M are two switches, which are preferably connected by an insulated crossbar on, so that they will move together. The pivots of said switches are connected directly with the conductors I I by wires 2' 1", while the contact-points m m belonging to each switch, are connected with the posts L L of one thermostat, as A, by wires t, and the contactpoints m m are connected with the posts L L of the other thermostat, as A by wires Z i The contactrpoints Z Z are so adjusted that when the temperature in the apartment in which the thermostat is placed is below that desired the end 70 of the spiral coil K will rest in contact with the contact-point Z, while as soon as the desired temperature is reached the end 7& will be swung or moved by the action of the coil into contact with the contact-point Z. ()ne pair of insulating-seetions 0 c of the distributor C is so arranged to the pipe the brush G will rest upon one of said sections 0 c nected by the conductor 1 with the contactpoint Z, as maybe traced by the full and dotted lines in the drawings. The brush G is similarly connected by means of the conductor I with the contact-point Z". When the temperature in the room is below the point desired, and the end of the thermostat is in contact with the point Z, a circuit (broken at one point) may be traced from the battery through the conductor 1, the thermostat-coil K, the contact-point Z, the switch M, the conductor 1 the brush G, the metal body of the commutator and the frame of the motor, the conductor 1', the coil of the magnet H, and the conductor I back to the battery. At such time, however, the damper D is shut and the brush G rests upon the insulating-section o, as illustrated in the drawings, the circuit above traced being broken by the said insulating-section.

It is of course understood that in the particular arrangement of the parts herein shown for controlling the draft through the stove, the most intense heat is produced when the damper is closed.

when the desired temperature in the room is reached, it becomes necessary to open the damper D to check the draft through the stove, and this is accomplished when the parts are in the position shown in the drawings, and above described, as follows: As soon as the temperature is exceeded for which. the thermostat (which is in circuit) is set the arm 70 thereof swings into contact with the contact-point l. A circuit is thereby established from the battery through the conductor I, the coil and thermostat, the contact-point l, the conductor 1 the brush G, the body of the commutator, (in contact with which the said brush G at this time .rests,) the conductor 2', the coil of the electric magnet H, andthe conductor I to the battery. As soon as this circuit is established, the core of the electromagnet will be energized, the armature H will be attracted, the detent h lifted, the regulating-fan released, and the motor will begin to turn and thereby give rotary movement to the damper D. The motor will continue to turn and move the damper as long as the brush G rests in contact with the metal part of the distributor and until the said brush G encounters and is lifted free from the body of the distributer by one of the insulating-sections 0 These sections 0 being arranged at an angular distance of a quarter of a circle from the insulating-sections c, the brush G will remain in contact with the metal part of the distributer during onefourth of the revolution of the shaft 0 and The brush G is con-.

the damper D. The motion of the clockwork is interrupted as soon as the insulatingsection 0 is brought beneath the brush G by the breaking of the current and the dropping of the detent h into engagement with the regulating-fan.

After the damperhas been opened, as above stated, the parts will remain in the same position with both branches of the batterycircuit interrupted or broken until the temperature 'of the apartment falls below the point for which the thermostat is adjusted, when the arm 70 of the thermostat will swing into contact with the contact-point Z and a circuit will be completed through the said contact-point, the conductdr l jtlfibrush G, and the electro-magnet thereby allpgving the shaft 0 to make another quarter-turn to close the airinlet-pipe It will of course be understood that the motor arranged and operating as described may be connected with and constructed to 'turn a. valve or damper in any desirable or convenient manr 1 eras, for instance, the valve or damper may operate to check or increase the heat given out by the heating apparatus either by being opened or closed, and the valve may be employed to control the smokepipe of a stove or furnace oTthe71'raft-aperture thereof, a duct supplying warm air to the apartment, a steam heating pipe, the shutter of a ventilating-aperture, or other movable part or valve the moving of which influences the temperature in an apartment or building.

When two thermostats A A are employed, as herein shown, one of the thermostats will be commonly set to operate at a lower temperature than the other one as, forinstance, one will be set to operate at 70 for use in the day-time and the other at 60 to maintain that degree of temperature at night. The great advantage gained by the employment of two separately-adj usted thermostats is that no change or shifting of the parts of the thermostat itself is required for the purpose of varying the heat in the house or apartment, as necessary at different times. Such adjustment of thermostats as heretofore made has rendered necessarilycomplicated and expensive construction therein, while the shifting devices employed have tended in their daily operation to change the adjustment of the contactpoints or other parts and thereby make the operation of the thermostat unreliable and inaccurate.

In a device embracing two thermostats and the switch for throwing either one into circuit, such as is herein shown, the thermostats themselves remain untouched after being once placed in adjustment, and the shifting of the switch is the only act required to produce the necessary variation in the temperature of the apartment, while the day and night temperatures remain unchanged.

The switch M need not be located upon the case of the thermostat, as shown, but it may IIO a thermostat or thermostats in one or more rooms may be located in a bed-room. The switch, furthermore, may be actuated automatically at desired times by a clock or time mechanism.

It is of course to be understood that in carrying out my invention the employment of the particular thermostat shown is not essential, and that any well-known or preferred form of thermostat may be employed, as found convenient or desirable.

As a further and separate improvement in temperature-regulating apparatus, I place the thermostat thereof in a box or casing O. The top and bottom walls are provided with openings or passages o 0, allowing the free circulation of air through the casing and around the thermostat. The presence of the inclosing-casingO protects the thermostats from direct radiation, while at the same time, by means of the apertures 0 0, allow ample ac cess of the air of the room thereto. The employment of a casing or covering is of special importance in a room containing a stove or steamradiator, inasmuch as the action of radiated heat is liable to operate the thermo stat at the time when the air in the room is below the desired temperature. The casing is desirably provided with a removable front wall or cover 0. Upon the shaft 1', by which the damper is actuated, is desirably placed an index-hand or indicator P, attached to said shaft outside of the tube or pipe. The hand P turns with the shaft, and thereby serves to indicate to the eye at all times the position of the valve or damper. hen the indicator thus made shows the damper to be closed or open when it is obvious from in spection of a thermometer in the room that it should be otherwise, an indication is afforded that the motor is not wound or in running order, that the battery is exhausted, or that for some other reason the apparatus is inoperative.

As shown in Figs. :3 and 5, the casing of the motor C is attached to the smokepipe by means of cylindric walls Q. Q, forming a continuation of the cylindrie side walls of the motor-case and fitting at their inner edges against the pipe 111.

The damper shown in Fig. 2 embraces a construction especially adapted for use in the ease of dampers controlled by the heat-regulating devices. As shown in said figure, it is a ring of leather, cloth, or other flexible material secured to thcniargins of the damper and extending outwardlybeyond the same, so as to bear againstthe inner surface of the pipe within which the damper is placed. As herein shown, the body of the damper consists of a flat plate, to the margins of which the flexible ring R is secured by means of. a separate metal ring it, the parts being secured together by rivets, as shown, or otherwise. In dampers heretofore made the margin of the damper seldom fits the interior of the pipe with sufficient closeness to completely shut off the passage of air through the pipe. The presence of the flexible ring,how-

ever, enables the pipe to be perfcctl y closedf thereby enabling the passage to be controlled with much more certainty and with less frictional resistance than would be presentin the use of a damper fitted closely to the pipe and having no such flexible ring, whereby more perfect results in heat regulation are obtained than would otherwise be the case.

I have herein shown as located in the pipe E, between the damper of the smoke-pipe F, a damper E, which may be actuated by hand for controlling the influx of air to the smoke-pipe independently of the heat-regulating devices. Said damper E" is useful. for controlling the stove-draft independently of the regulating apparatus in starting the fire or at other times. Said damper is especially useful when the draft of the chimney is not sufficient to carry off all of the air which enters the air-pipe E and at the same time maintain a draft through the stove sufficient to remove all the gas generated therein. The said damper, in case of a weak or insufficient draft, will be partially closed, thereby partially cutting off the in flux of cold air through the said air-pipe and thus causing a sufficient draft through the stove to carry away all the gas generated therein and preventingits exit through the door or joints of the stove into the room.

I have hereinbefore described the armature ll as being arranged to gravitate away from the pole of the magnet. As one desirable way of constructing the armature to attain this end, I locate the pivot 71 thereof at the side of the metal block composing the armaturenearest the polar surface of the magnet, so that the center of gravity of the block is exterior to its pivotal axis. A convenient and. economical way of attaching the iivot-rod h to the armature is herein shown, andv illustrated in Figs. and I). As shown in said figures, the armature is provided in its side facenearest the magnet, near its lower margin, with a horizontal groove 71?, within which the rod for forming the pivot is inserted and secured by swaging, solder, or otherwise. I have found that the armature is rendered much more sensitive and more easily moved by making it of wedge shape, as shown, with its opposite side faces tapering upwardly. liy this construction a heavy lower part is formed. upon the armature, located at one side of the pivot and tending to draw the upper end of the armature away from the magnet, while at the same time the upper part of the armature does not overlntng the lower part when the armature is free from the magnet, so that the latter may be moved by a very slight or weak current.

I prefer to make the arms IP11 as light as possible, and by using such light arms upon an armature and in the manner described I am enabled to operate the deviceby the use of one battery-cell, Whereas other similar devices as heretofore made have required two or more.

Jertain features of construction in the smoke and air inlet pipes, dampers means for attaching the motor to the pipe, and other features of construction herein illustrated are shown and claimed in a separate application for patent, Serial No. 272,387, filed by me in the United States Patent Office upon the th day of April, 1888.

The cylindric commutator or distributer C is secured to the shaft 0 by means of a smooth cylindric hole in the commutator, into which the shaftis tightly fitted, as clearly shown in the drawings. The commutator is thus held from turning upon the shaft solely by frictional engagement with the same, while the frictional resistance is not so great as to prevent the commutator beingturnedupon the shaft when considerable force is applied for the purpose. This means of attaching the com mutator to the shaft enables the commutator to be rotated for the purpose of adjusting the in sulating-sections of the commutator with reference to the damper as necessary in originally assembling theparts of the apparatus or for after adjustment of the same.

I claim as my invention 1. A temperature-regulatin g apparatus comprising a valve, a valve-actuating device controlled by electricity, two separate thermostats adapted to operate at different temperatures,

1 and a switch whereby either of said thermostats may be thrown into circuitwith the valve-actuating device and the other excluded from it, substantially as described.

2. A temperature-regulating apparatus comprising a valve, a thermostat, a motor embracing a clock mechanism, an. electro-magnet in circuit withthe thermostat, and a pivoted armature constructed to fall away from the magnet by gravity,lsaid armature being provided with a detent-arm engaging a revolving part of the clock-work and being mostat to the brushes, a third conductor leading from the body of the thermostat to the body of the commutator and embracing the coils of the electro-magnet, and a battery in circuit with said conductors, substantially as described.

4. A temperature-regulating apparatus comprising a valve, a thermostat havin g two contact-points, a revolving shaft supporting and actuating the valve, a clock mechanism actuating said shaft, a cylindric commutator mounted upon the shaft and provided with two sets of insulating-sections located at opposite sides of a central line drawn around the cylindric surface of the commutator, the sections of one set being disposed at intermediate angular positions with reference to those on the other set, two brushes bearing against said commutator, conductors leading from the contact-points of the thermostat to the said brushes, a third conductor leading from the body of the commutator to the body of the thermostat, and an electro-magnet in circuit with the thermostat, commutators, and brushes, and an armature therefor provided with a detent which engages a moving part of the motor, substantially as described. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID W. THOMPSON. itnesses:

O. CLARENCE PooLE, O. N. WILLIs. 

